The Forgotten 7th Year

Reunions

Neville's POV

When we staggered back up to our dormitories, it was 1:00. We were exhausted, and the next morning came with indecent haste. It felt as if I'd barely closed my eyes when,

"Neville! You're back! Blimey, we thought you were goners. That new guy Luna brought, Rolf, he's been lots of help. And Hannah's been absolutely frantic. Was she that bad when I was taken?

Am I being too loud?"

"Yes." My brain was trying to make sense of all the information he was throwing at me. I groggily opened my eyes.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I'm just surprised they let you go. And how are you out of the Hospital Wing the early?"

"Wha-we were never in the Hospital Wing."

"But, you're not injured."

"Exactly, that's why we never went to the Hospital Wing. I felt like my sleep clogged brain was missing something.

"But, you didn't just get off!"

It hit me. "We weren't tortured, Seamus."

He paused, a look of mingled confusion and relief on his face.

"What? But they're Death Eaters! That's what they do! Don't get me wrong, I'm bloody glad you weren't but, why?"

"Snape. He wouldn't let them. We tended to the Forbidden Forest with Hagrid."

"Blimey! He might as well have let you go."

"I know. The Carrows weren't pleased. They locked us in that room they call, 'second office,' and-"

But I paused. I wasn't sure if Ginny wanted anyone to know about her near miss.

"And then Snape came and stopped them." I finished. It sounded incomplete in my head, but Seamus seemed satisfied.

"Someone better go tell Hannah. She threatened to march down to the Carrow's office and free you by force if you weren't back by tomorrow."

I felt a flicker of something I couldn't quite name.

"Actually, the whole DA probably wants to know. He took out the galleon, and tapped it with his wand."There!"

The door opened, and Lavender walked in.

"I heard Neville was back?"

"Yeah, I'm here."

"Oh good. Hannah was worried. It was weird. She's usually so happy!"

"Hey, you shouldn't be in here! Those stupid sexist stairs."

Lavender shrugged. "Are Ginny and Luna back too?"

"Yeah."

"Good, the DA was kind of lost without you. Do you still want to lead, even after you've seen what the Carrows are capable of?"

"Actually, I didn't."

Lavender gawked. "Alecto used the cruciatis curse on me for looking her in the eyes. You're telling me, that you were in her power for 24 hours, and they never hurt you?"

"Yes. Snape stopped them."

"Snape?"

"Yeah, I was just as surprised as you. And he was really mad when they tried to disobey him."

"What did he do?"

"I'll tell everyone the full story later."

***

When I opened the door to the Great Hall, I thought I'd been attacked.

A force hit me, and sobbed into my shoulder. I put my arms around Hannah, and tried to ignore the tingling where my skin touched her's. She was so beside herself, that she was unable to get a complete thought out.

"Neville! I, I thought-. That evil-. If they'd-. I wanted to-. Oh, Neville." I patted her in the back. Her blond hair smelled like honey.

Something changed about the hug. She stopped crying and put her head on my chest.

A heat so intense it was almost painful swept though me.

"I was so worried."

"It's ok."

"No it isn't."

"No, it isn't." I agreed.

"Don't ever leave again."

"I'll try."

Her blue eyes met mine.

"Can you promise?"

"No. Can you?"

She gave a dry chuckle. "No. I'll just have to enjoy every moment, I guess.

And, for the first time in a long while, I felt content.

Luna's POV

I searched desperately for Rolf. He wasn't at the Hufflepuff Table, though they were very glad to see me.

And there he was. Standing there, partially hidden behind a person that didn't matter anymore. Nothing mattered except the way his eyes lit up when he saw me. He was running toward me, and I was running towards him. I was floating on a cloud of happiness, and the world seemed to fade away

When we collided, I threw my arms around his neck.

"I missed you Lun."

My feelings couldn't be expressed in words, so I hugged him close, trying to put everything I was not saying into that hug.

After a while we broke apart. He looked into my face.

"Are you ok? How badly-" but his voice broke and he couldn't complete the sentence."

"Not at all. It was Snape. He wouldn't let them. Our detention was to help Hagrid."

Relief broke across is face. "When they dragged you away, I thought I'd never see you again. I thought about how we'd ended last time, and all the things I wanted to tell you."

My brain was waking up again. I was suddenly aware of how close we were. Of how my arms were around his neck. Of how his hands were on my waist.

"What did you want to tell me?"

He was leaning in. "I really like you, Luna."

"I really like you too, Rolf."

And he pressed his lips softly against mine. An electric current was flowing between us. I leaned into the kiss, and closed my eyes. It was bliss, he was surely the only real thing in the world.

Time was a nonexistent concept. It might have been seconds or years when we pulled apart.

Michael wolf whistled, and Lavender walloped him. I heard her sigh wistfully,

"Won-won."

Rolf grinned sheepishly at me. Then, in front of the whole hall, I brought him into another long lingering kiss.

Yay, another update! What do you think? I know it's short. Comments, thoughts, ideas,

Here

Thanks,
Aria